Sweet Release
by trinketeer333
Summary: *A second person narration* Your life on earth is happy, but dull. You have a secret within you that causes you much pain and confusion. Such a secret inflicts your stance on life so that when you are taken to Asgard as a servant you go willingly. When Loki gets wind of your inner self he is taken with you, but you are not as willing to stay with the God of Mischief...
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

_Hello readers! This is my first Loki fanfic and my first piece using a second person narrative, so I am anxious to know what you make of it. The introduction may be a little too descriptive for some, but I wanted to share the OC's back story. Loki's glorious presence will appear in the next chapter, don't fret. Feel free to leave your thoughts/reviews I highly appreciate it :)_

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You walked down the snow and ice covered streets on your way home. The cold wind made your usual pale complexion rosy as you pulled your scarf up more to shield yourself. Most nights you were able to get a ride home, but tonight the family you were a nanny to was running on a tight schedule. Your dad was downtown and wouldn't be back until nightfall, and you didn't want to wait around for a bus that would surely run late. The walk home wasn't too far though, so you didn't mind much. In fact, you liked the alone time. While walking and listening to your music you could have some peace. Not that your home life was truly awful. You loved your family and you had pretty much everything you needed. The last couple of years had been personally struggling for you though.

High school was over and your closest friends went off to college and university. You had been on the honour role yourself, and did exceedingly well in most things you set out to do, especially within the arts, but you didn't feel ready for post secondary education. _What would you go for? _The only thing that spoke to you was writing and art, yet society, and worse your parents, told you there was no job value in that field. You knew that education cost a bundle, so instead of enrolling for the sake of it, you took some time off. It was a hard thing to do, especially since everyone you knew in high school was going off to some sort of post secondary education. Teachers and family members forced it down your throat. Anyone not going on to post secondary education would be a _joke_. A _nobody_. Yet you believed that this was one of the biggest illusions of society. Surely if one wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, further education would definitely be necessary, but there had to be other ways of getting ahead if you had other ambitions._ Wasn't there?_

There was a truth deep within you that was becoming harder and harder to ignore though. It was the main reason you had so much trouble planning ahead for your future. It was a feeling hidden inside your very soul. Sometimes it would seep through your clutches and into your mind where it became hard to scoop up and stow away again. This feeling scared you. It put thoughts in your head and made you question your existence from too young of an age. You remembered a time when you were around six years old. The feeling had been with you for so long and you had questions about it. Your mom was rummaging through her closet when you came to her. Putting your thoughts and feelings into questions aimed at her, pretending to be merely curious, seemed like a good way to approach the situation. You asked her if she ever felt like she didn't really know who she was supposed to be. Your mother looked confused when you asked her this, so your six year old mind struggled to explain your thoughts and feelings. You began explaining how you knew about yourself; your name, birthday, gender, what you liked and didn't like. You knew your family history. Who your mommy and daddy are, your sister, grandparents, relatives and friends. Yet knowing all of this didn't seem to be enough because you still felt..._weird. _You could look in a mirror and see yourself, but not_ know_ yourself. Like you didn't belong in the world.

Your mom turned to look at you, shock and concern in her face. That look worried you and you immediately felt as if you made a mistake by sharing this secret. Your mom said she never felt that way, and it wasn't good for you to feel that way either. She asked you to forget about those thoughts and be happy with who you were. You agreed that it was silly of you to think like that and she looked a little relieved. Your mom then kissed you and told you to go on and play. After that you never spoke of those thoughts and feelings again, but they never went away. You kept them hidden and when they seeped back inside your mind you quickly tucked them away. For many years the feeling stayed well hidden, even forgotten at times, but as you matured the feeling resurfaced, stronger than before and feeding you a new thought: a thought that told you of your future. No, not your future, the lack of it. Try as you might you could never see yourself growing older in the world. All you saw when you stretched your thoughts into your adult years was a wall of smoke. Like your time on this earth was only borrowed and would soon come to an end.

At first this thought scared you, but the longer it lingered in your mind, the more you began to accept it. You were not necessarily depressed or contemplating taking your life. You felt like _something _would happen naturally or over the course of time. Young and healthy, you were perfectly willing for the sweet release of death however it came about. Surely you would die. _What other release could there be?_ You never shared these darker thoughts with anyone. Not your family or best friends; you wouldn't have even told your boyfriend if you had one. You kept that part of you hidden away, and used the excuse of "still trying to figure things out" when people questioned your lack of future ambition. You decided to use the time after high school to keep the good person that you were around for your loved ones. You got a job as a walk-in nanny, volunteered at a retirement home, and kept up with your writing and other creative talents.

Two years had passed, yet nothing had happened and the pressure of pursuing further education was ruining your relationship with your parents. You laughed inside at their hopes of bettering your future— _what future?—_but you loved them too much and wanted to make them happy, so you gave in and applied to college. Now you had three acceptance letters waiting at home on your desk. How much time did you have left? When would you finally be released?

Suddenly your thoughts were interrupted as your lace up boots slid across a patch of ice. You lost your balance and went spiraling to the ice and snow covered sidewalk. Hot, sharp pain filled your skull. You fluttered your eyes open, feeling the falling snowflakes hit your lashes and melt into cold tears that rimmed your parted lids. You rolled in and out of the fading daylight when a shadow filled your view. _Was this the release you had been waiting for?_


	2. Chapter 2

You awaken to pastel bed sheets and fluorescent lights. _This wasn't your bedroom. _After rubbing your eyes and sitting up against the pillows you got a better look at your surroundings. White laminate flooring, an ancient television set held high in the ceiling corner, and the strong odor of disinfectant. You were in a hospital. At first you couldn't imagine why you were there, but then you became conscious of a dull throb at the back of your head and slowly, the memory of your icy fall came back to you. Colourful bouquets of flowers and cards covered your bedside table. A tired smile grew on your lips as you read the cards from your family and a few of your friends. Leaning over to smell the flowers, you frowned for a moment when you spotted an extravagant bouquet at the other end of the room. Carefully, you slipped out of bed, hissing as your feet met the cold floor, and made your way to the bouquet. It contained flowers of many different sizes all in shades of purple, your favourite colour. These flowers were like nothing you ever saw before; _exotic. _Looking closer you noticed a small card tucked between the leaves with your name on it. Inside, written in green ink were words you could not read; a foreign language made up of the oddest symbols.

"Those are_ something_ aren't they?" a plump nurse walked in with a clip board as you held the card close, the perplexed look on your face vanishing with surprise. "They _must _have been imported because I've never seen flowers like those before."

"…Neither have I" you answered slowly, gazing down at the card again.

"Oooh, someone must really have an eye for you dear. Is it your boyfriend? A secret admirer maybe?" the nurse tried to get a peek at the card from over your shoulder but you quickly pressed it to your chest, hiding its strange contents.

"It's private" you smiled apologetically. The nurse looked taken aback for a moment, but then she smiled and nodded.

"When will I be able to go home?" you asked the plump nurse as she read a few charts by your bed and scribbled away at her clipboard. Without looking up she answered;

"A day or two at the most. The doctor just wants to keep you here a little longer for safety precautions."

"So there's nothing wrong with me?" You asked. The nurse looked up from her clip board;

"Of course not dear. You almost sound disappointed. It was just a fall on the ice that knocked you out. You should get back into bed now, so I can check my other patients." You did as you were told and when the nurse left your room you took out the card with the strange message inside. You examined it every which way, but still you could not decipher it. _Who could have written something like this? _Thinking back to your fall you seemed to remember something peculiar… a shadow. For sure you thought your time had come. You were almost certain of it, yet here you were, lying in a hospital bed, deprived of what could have been the release you had been waiting for. You felt bitter for being cheated your desire, and guilty for wishing your desire to have been granted. _What was wrong with you? _That shadow. Did that shadow really belong to someone, or did you just imagine it?

While trying to render the source of the shadow in your mind, sleep fell upon you. While you slept, you dreamed. You had what you liked to call an "out of body" dream, a dream where you could see yourself but you weren't necessarily controlling yourself. Almost as if you were watching a home movie. The dream was of the evening you walked home and slipped on the ice, knocking yourself out. You only focused on your motionless body lying on the iced sidewalk, snow falling into your open eyes. You stayed so focused that you almost didn't realize that another person had entered your dream. A tall man wearing strange clothes, a uniform of sorts, but quite a marvelous one made of rich materials. He wore a long trench coat that went to his ankles. When the wind blew, the coat parted slightly to reveal something metallic—armor. _Why would someone be wearing armor? _You thought, but then reminded yourself that this was only a dream.

The man stood over your motionless body, staring at you for some time until he bent down and touched your temples with his finger tips. He then stood up, and still looking down at your body he murmured something that at first sounded strange to your ears, but then his voice echoed back to you in English; _Midgardian girl, your release is near. _The man turned to look at you then, but not your unconscious body, your dream self! He had hard, stony features but his sandy hair warmed them enough to make him a somewhat attractive man. Not your type, but not bad either. The man began to walk towards you and then there came a flash—for a split second his face changed! His hard, stony features and sandy hair twisted and changed to something totally opposite; slender, pale features, an elegant mouth, and black, shoulder-length hair. His features were so striking they startled you at first, but before you could inspect this new man the flash came again and he was the hard, stony man once more. He was still walking towards you, but he was saying something now;

"Wake up." He was right in front of you now and you could see flecks of gold within his hard, grey eyes.

"Wake up." He repeated, but he sounded closer. Louder. You rubbed your eyes and stretched, but when you opened them the man in your dream was still there. Thinking your eyes were playing tricks on you as they adjusted to the ill-lighted room you rubbed them again, only to be greeted by the man's gaze once more. You gasped and made to jump out your bed and run for the door when the man picked up the card with the strange message inside and began to read it to you;

"_Midgardian girl, your release is near_." His eyes traced back to you as he held the card out for you to take. "More specifically, it is upon you now. You have been chosen to be a servant of Asgard. It is time to leave Midgard. You may try to reason with me, fight against it, or even beg—most do, but either way you will be taken to Asgard."

Your breath caught in your throat. _Were you still dreaming, or was this finally your chance to be released? _You had no idea what Midgard was or how far away Asgard was from it. This man made you feel a little uneasy with his hard, stony features and his demands, but if this was really happening, it could be your only chance to be released from those thoughts and feelings that had been burdening you all your life. Something inside of you was urging. The place where you hid all of those thoughts and feelings seemed to be _pounding_. You never felt that before. _It must mean something._ You got up from your bed then and opened the cupboard under your bedside table. There you found the backpack you had been carrying with you, along with the clothes you had been wearing the night of the fall. You jammed them in your bag and slung it over your shoulders. Turning around you heard the man sigh;

"You won't be needing any of your Midgardian belongings in Asgard."

"I really don't think it will make any difference to you if I bring them with me. You don't see me putting up a fit to be taken to this… _Asgard _place of yours, so why should it bother you?" You spoke quietly, with as much politeness as possible so as not to offend him, but really, why shouldn't you be allowed to bring a few belongings? The man stared at you and your backpack for a moment;

"Very well then. Say goodbye to Midgard girl, this will be the last time you ever see it again."


	3. Chapter 3

The previous night seemed like one crazy, sense engaged dream: the sandy haired man with the stony face sneaking you out of the hospital (strangely with no interruptions from the staff or security), the vacant lot he led you to. For all you knew he could have been a psychopath who lured hospital patients there to knife them, but instead he called out to the night sky. It was a strange word—or name, you weren't quite sure anymore which was what. At first nothing happened as you gazed up at the sky dotted with stars, but then some sort of powerful surge shot down over the two of you and engulfed your bodies in a tingling sensation. Like a magnetic connection you were shot up through a tunnel of energy. Stars and rainbows seemed to pass by in slow motion, even though it felt like _you_ were whipping by them at time warp speed. That's all you remembered of your journey to Asgard. Everything else was blank.

Once again you awoke to a room that was not your own. It was very small with stone walls and a flagstone floor. The bed was plain, yet more luxurious than the one at the hospital. A cupboard matching the bed sat against the wall under a window. On the opposite wall hung an oval mirror over what looked to you to be a pioneer wash stand. Before you could get out of bed to get a look out the window the door to your room opened and in walked a busty young woman who looked to be only a few years older than yourself.

"Surprise, surprise, the Midgardian girl has yet to rise. _Lazy_" you heard her hiss that last word under her breath, "Get up and wash yourself quickly. You were supposed to be up already, now my ass is going to be on the line because I was supposed to take you for viewing and we're going to be late." Not wanting to get her even more pissed at you, you shot out of bed and made your way to the wash stand.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sleep in. I didn't know anyone was waiting for me. I just got here last night."

"Clearly" she sniffed as you began washing your face and untangling your hair with your fingers.

"Ugh. Are all you Midgardians so feral? Why don't you open a drawer and use a comb like a lady?" Feeling stupid you pulled open the single small drawer under the wash basin and found a bone comb along with a few other odd looking bottles and items. Thinking you would inspect them later you took the comb and worked out your bed head.

"And don't wear that ghastly thing when we leave this room" She was referring to your hospital gown. You had almost forgotten you were wearing it. Finished at the wash basin you made for your backpack to grab a change of clothes—your only clothes now—when she exhaled loudly;

"You know there _are _clothes in the cupboard. You're in Asgard now, so dress like it—not that you'll be in anything fancy seeing as you're only a starting servant" She added with some smugness. You sighed, careful not to let her hear and turned to retrieve the clothes in the cupboard. Turning, you looked over to see if she would leave so you could dress in private, but she just stood with her arms crossed impatiently. Seeing that you were a little wary of undressing in front of a stranger she leaned against the wall and averted her eyes in the opposite direction a little too dramatically.

Pulling the thin hospital gown over your head you realized then that you had no undergarments on. Clumsily, you began pulling the neatly folded clothes apart until you found underwear and something that looked like a corset only thinner and not as complicated. You covered your nakedness up and continued to dress. Your outfit was a long V-neck dress of light, dusty mauve, slim fitting at the bodice and flowing at the skirt. Three tarnished buttons traced your upper sleeves allowing you to adjust their length. A darker mauve sleeveless tunic with two hip pockets went over top, and slender lace up boots protected your feet. You had no idea what that girl was talking about, you thought your outfit was beautiful. The girl turned to look at you once more and her stare wasn't any warmer than before.

"Follow me and don't speak. I don't want to have to explain everything to your small Midgardian mind." She smartly walked out of the room with her nose in the air as you tried your best to keep up without getting too close to her. Your room opened into a long hall of many doors looking all the same. Some other girls and women wearing similar clothes as you but in different shades were leaving their rooms as well. None were going in the same direction as you though. The stingy girl led you down many hallways, stairwells, twists and turns. _How big was this place?_ You started to wonder how you would get back to your room come night fall, when the girl in front of you came to a stop and you nearly stepped on the back of her dress. She turned her head towards you with slit eyes;

"Don't you _dare _make a fool of me Midgardian" and with that she opened a large door and led you into a grand room with tall ceilings held up with stone pillars. Long windows from floor to ceiling lined the walls letting in the bright light from outside. You wanted to get a better look at what the outside was like but something else caught your senses first. The smell of freshly prepared food wafted your way and your stomach rumbled yearningly. The stingy girl led you to a long table covered with golden platters of the most delicious food you had ever seen (even though you couldn't name any of it if asked). Four people were sitting at this extravagant table that could have seated thirty. You felt very nervous and quickly averted your eyes to the toes of your boots peeking out from under your long dress.

"Your majesty, I apologize for interrupting your morning meal," it was the first time you had heard the stingy girl speak in an almost pleasant voice, "but this new girl slept in and I was drawn back for time." _Of course she had to come out on top._ "I really don't believe she is the right kind of girl to be serving the kingdom of Asgard, as she can't even see herself out of bed without coaxing." Still you kept your eyes at your feet, dreading what was to become of you now. You were not the lazy, unreliable type at all, and you wanted to say so but another spoke out.

"Remember Zara, you are a maid, and it is not your place to judge who serves my kingdom. You have done your duty now and you are dismissed." You glanced up at the stingy girl and saw her lips press in a thin line as she bowed. Her eyes met with you for just a moment and you felt the hate in her glare. Tossing her head of sandy beach waves she stalked out.

"Raise your eyes girl." The man's voice was a command, but it was not unkind. You did as you were told. The owner of the voice was an older man with a golden eye patch. His remaining eye looked wise and serious. You could tell he held great power. Next to him was a beautiful and kindly looking woman whose eyes smiled just as brightly as they shone. On the other side of the older man was a brawny young man with long golden hair who seemed to have an air of playful arrogance about him. Next to him was another young man who almost didn't look like he belonged at the table… _It was the man from your dream! _He hadn't looked up yet, but his jet black hair and pale complexion were uncanny.

"I am Odin, King of Asgard. Now tell me girl, what is your name?" You looked back to him and told him your name, and then he went on to ask you where you were from. Without thinking you told him the name of your hometown. He and the woman chuckled. You felt confused and he seemed to read the look on your face.

"You misunderstand me. What _world _do you originate from?" _What kind of question was that? _

"…_Earth_" The dark haired man raised his head to look at you with sudden interest when you answered. You glanced in his direction and you were sure you felt something pass between you. Was it _recognition? _No, it couldn't have been. Quickly you looked back at the man named Odin, only to feel the stare of the dark haired man still.

"So you are a Midgardian. It has been ages since a new Midgardian has been brought into Asgard. The seeker who brought you here told you of what your position in this kingdom will be, no?"

"A servant. He told me I would be a servant."

"And I trust that since you were chosen, you will perform your duties without question and to the highest of your abilities."

"Yes sir… Your highness."

"Asgard is your new home now. You will serve it and learn our ways. As your king you shall honour me and my wife—Queen Frigga," The woman seated at the table smiled kindly down at you and you automatically felt a liking towards her, "and my sons, the Princes of Asgard; Thor and Loki" He waved his hand in the direction of the brawny blond first, and then the pale dark haired one. Thor gave you a handsome, toothy grin as he placed his muscular arms on the table. Loki's expression still had not changed. He continued to stare at you. His eyes were piercing and made you feel self conscious, but of what you did not know. You tried hard not to make eye contact with him, but the fact that you could _feel_ his stare did not ease your conscious. You smiled and awkwardly bowed;

"Thank you King Odin. I am grateful for your hospitality." Odin nodded his approval while Thor seemed to be hiding a bemused chuckle. You knew you probably looked and sounded stupid, but you had never been in the presence of royalty before so you didn't know how to act. With that Odin sent you out to rejoin Zara who would show you to the servant headquarters for placement. Before you turned to leave you dared one more glance at Loki. He was still staring at you. Thor seemed to notice his brother's concentration on you and gave him a rough jab in the arm followed by a questioning look. Loki's focus broke as he rubbed his arm and glared at his brother. Turning back to his plate, he once again put on an uninterested demeanor. He did not look up again as you turned to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

*Loki's P.O.V.*

_Another servant girl, _Loki thought dully as he picked at the food on his plate, _and we don't already have a hundred of those. _But when he heard his father clarify that this new girl was from Midgard Loki couldn't help but look up. His curiosity of worlds that were not his own; of things and people (mortal and immortal alike), who didn't belong, always drew him in. Perhaps it was because Loki himself felt as if he didn't belong; like something was wrong—or missing. He had his title, Loki, the God of Mischief, son of Odin, yet that was only a name. Loki's pale complexion, black hair and lean build set him aside visually from the majority of Asgardians with hair the colour of harvest wheat and complexions glowing like the sun. Thor, although Loki's brother, was his polar opposite. Thor was strong, loud, arrogant and well loved by everyone in Asgard, while Loki was sly, cunning, secretive and intelligent—all the traits of a trickster and not to be trusted. Growing up Odin made it clear that only one of them could take his place at the throne, but assured them that both were born to rule. Loki strived to win his father over with his intelligence and magical skills, but was always overshadowed by his brother, _the golden boy. _As the brothers grew older Thor seemed to be drawing closer to the throne. No matter how hard Loki tried to prove himself, Thor always remained his father's favourite, while Loki was never trusted, never taken seriously… never truly loved.

When Loki met eyes with the new servant girl he felt as if he had seen her before, but he couldn't remember where. Loki thought more logically about the situation; it was impossible that he could recognize her since she was from an entirely different planet. Still he felt as if he had gazed into her eyes before. She was rather pretty for a Midgardian, and for a servant girl at that. Loki thought it had something to do with her shy, polite stance. Most of the Asgardian servants were either old enough to be his grandmother, where the young ones were plain and dumb or promiscuous whores. Sometimes, when they were assigned to Loki's room they would try to make more than his bed, which disgusted him, he was not one to be toyed with. Most often though the servants were scared of him, and for good reason as he was the God of Mischief whose tricks were played at the expense of his victims. Thor was the one that all the women flocked to, and he drank in their admiration and looks of yearning.

The new servant girl was staring back at Loki now, observing his features as if tracing them to some memory. Something flared in her eyes. Loki took note of this and kept his eyes on her, trying his best to intimidate. Servants rarely made eye contact with Loki because they were afraid of him, but this girl was locked on him. Of course this new servant girl wouldn't know much about him yet as she was from Midgard. _She will learn_, Loki thought. His father began speaking to her again and she looked away from Loki. Now that she was no longer staring back at him, his eyes were free to travel; first to her breasts, then to her slender waist and back up to her head of dark locks. Loki's imagination began to run wild the longer he took the sight of this servant girl in. He began to wonder what her hair smelled like, how her lips would taste, how her frail body would squirm under his own. A realization began to chew at his fantasies; the girl looked young, _very _young. She would probably turn out to be whiny and immature, unable to perform the simplest tasks without making a mistake. Most of the younger servants were like that, although Asgard didn't have many that young, for that reason mainly. Despite this, Loki found himself staring at her still, trying to put his finger on when and where he had seen her before. By the way her eyes flared, it seemed as if she may have recognized him as well.

She looked back at Loki and he was determined not to tear his eyes from hers, _That would show weakness and I have to let her know that _I'm _in control. _Suddenly Loki's concentration was halted by the jab in his arm. Thor gave his brother, who seemed to be almost hypnotized by the Midgardian, a curious look that asked; W_hat do you see in her? _

_Damn you brother! _Loki raged on the inside, yet his outer shell was nothing but cool and unfazed as he looked back to his plate. When Loki lifted his eyes again, searching for the new servant girl, she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

The door to the luxurious dining hall shut behind you and the stingy girl now known to you as Zara, greeted you far from warmly.

"Well I hope you are pleased with yourself" her words were laced with loathing. _Why does she have to be so bitter?_

"Follow me" Zara turned sharply, her golden hair, the only soft thing about her, flew over her shoulder. Again you silently followed her through the ever confusing grounds, not having the slightest idea where you were headed. As you walked behind Zara you began to notice people turning their heads to look at you. _This must be what it feels like to be the new kid in school. _Feeling self-conscious you kept your eyes at Zara's heels until the two of you descended a wide flight of stairs onto a spacious hall. Once again the smell of food was in the air and you spot its origins, a buffet-style table at the far side of the hall. Your mouth waters with the smell of it, but Zara leads you to the opposite end and into a much smaller stone room.

The room smelled musty, like a library. A large shelf lined with books and rolls of parchment covered the back wall. A bulky stone desk sat in front and behind it sat an even bulkier old woman wearing heavy robes. She seemed to be rather busy as she sorted through charts and lists, scribbling notes and scratching words out as she went.

"Excuse me, Grendle, I'm here to drop off the new servant girl. She needs to be placed" Zara's voice wasn't as nasty, but it was definitely nothing close to the sweet voice she put on for the royal family. The older woman looked up tiredly at Zara and then moved her gaze to you and smiled warmly, easing your nerves straight away.

"Thank you Zara, you may leave now" The woman called Grendle motioned her hand to the door and Zara swiftly left, glad to be rid of you and you of her. When Zara was gone Grendle turned to you and asked you to take a seat on one of the stone stools. Your empty stomach and your edged nerves caused you to fold your arms over your middle, your fingers fidgeting with the material of your dress.

"Don't be nervous girl, you are here to serve Asgard, and this is a great blessing" Grendle soothed. Then she took out a big book and turned to a chart with her quill at the ready, "Now, tell me your name, age and place of origin." You began telling her your name and age when she smiled and winked at you, "Almost _twenty_! I would have guessed sixteen. You are the true essence of youth darling. Sorry for rambling, please continue."

"I am from… Midgard" After hearing that word thrown about you in place of Earth you presumed that was their preferred term. Grendle's eyes widened slightly before she spoke;

"_Midgard_. It has been a while since we have gotten any servants from there. I hope you are adjusting well." Your silence answered for you and Grendle assured you that you would adjust soon enough; all of the servants did. From there she went over your skills and flipped through her charts some more, finding "vacancies" as she put it. In the end you were assigned several cleaning duties to be carried out throughout the week. She explained to you that the servants were listed on a chart just outside the room stating their duties and where they would be carried out. Depending on the day these duties could be altered varying on the task or location. She told you that since you were new you would start in the stables, but dismissed you to a quick meal hearing your stomach growl louder than you wished it had.

"Zara, that damned girl, I can't believe she didn't even feed the poor Midgardian!" You heard Grendle say to herself as you left the musty scented room.

The one thing you were sure of about Asgard was the food. It was the best you ever tasted. Taking a plate made of some sort of pottery, you began to load it with portions of the food available on the buffet-style table. Although most of the food looked strange to what you were used to, it was easy to tell what foods belonged to the four food groups… the four food groups you were familiar with anyway. Most of the dining tables were empty as it was late in the morning and everyone was off doing their jobs, but a few servants still lingered.

Seating yourself at an empty table you began eating at last. Your stomachs pleas for nourishment were finally satisfied, allowing you to think back to the man from your dream. Loki, the Prince of Asgard. _He is very good looking, but why was he looking at me that way? _You weren't exactly _popular _with guys back home. Sure you had friends who were guys, you even had a few admirers, but none of whom you had feelings for. When your older sister was your age she was a social butterfly and all the boys liked her. Being more quiet and reserved, you assumed boys just weren't interested in you that way. They were bored with you or didn't have the patience to dig a little deeper. Sometimes this upset you, but then that feeling would surface and you preferred not having a boyfriend. The commitment wasn't worth it. You barely knew who you were or what you wanted. Why drag a boy into all of that mess? No, you felt better on your own. _It was easier to hide your secrets when you were alone. _

Still, Loki's penetrating stare was all you could think of as you finished the food on your plate. _You've got to be kidding yourself. What would a_ prince_ see in a servant girl anyway? Especially one from an entirely different world. _Your thoughts were interrupted when someone tapped your shoulder. Looking up you saw a girl who looked to be about the same age as Zara. She too had golden hair, but hers was straight and silky, not thick and wavy. She wasn't as curvy as Zara either.

"You must be the new servant girl…from Midgard. Grendle told me about you because I'm on orchard duty. She said I should take you to the stables_. _I'm Nolwyn." She smiled as you thanked her and told her your name. Deciding you ate enough, you stood up and the two of you walked out of the dining hall. You liked Nolwyn right off the bat. She didn't make you feel like a nobody because you were new and not of her world. Instead of making you walk behind her she insisted you walked _with _her. She was friendly and very talkative, eager to tell you anything and everything;

"I overheard Zara complaining about you to some of the other servant women, but don't take offence, she complains about absolutely _everything._ I can't believe you had to be taken around by her, she is so _bitter_, but she always sugar coats herself when in the presence of the royal family, especially Thor. As if she would ever be suited with him. She spent the night in his chambers once and has it in her pretty little head that he's in love with her. With the many lovers Thor has, ha! You know she is the jealous type, so she always finds problems with new girls, I'm just sorry you had to have met her on your first day."

"She actually… with Thor? Isn't he the prince?" You were not used to the politics of Asgard, especially the royalty, but if you were to get answers, Nolwyn would surely supply them.

"Remember he's not _just _a prince, he's practically a _god. _He can do whatever…and _whomever _takes his fancy" Nolwyn stifled a smirk. _A god? What was she talking about? _The disappointing thought that Asgard was just a dream crossed your mind. _How is it possible that he's a god? But then, how is any of this possible? The strange encounter with that man at the hospital, the…portal or whatever it was that brought you here, and Asgard, a world you never knew existed until just the other night. How was _any _of it possible? _You decided that you should start accepting things as they were in this world, something you tried to avoid on Earth. Since the topic of Thor came up you thought it would be the perfect time to bring up his brother;

"What about the dark haired one? Thor's brother? He's kind of good looking. Does he have a lot of girls chasing after him?"

"Loki? Yes he's handsome, and I suppose he has had relations with more than one unlucky maiden, but he keeps to himself most of the time. I would keep your distance from him though, he's trouble."

"Trouble? How so?"

"You really don't want to know. Just try to avoid him if you can." Before you could carry the conversation further the two of you arrived at the stables.

"Let me show you a run through of your chores, and then I need to be off to do my own" Nolwyn gave you a quick tour of the stables and the surrounding yards. The stables were beautiful, like a kingdom for the horses, which made sense since they belonged to the Kingdom of Asgard. It had a high ceiling with stained glass windows at either end like a cathedral. There was a large stone fountain used for the horses drinking and cleaning water. Each pen was filled with sweet golden straw and had the finest carved stall doors. The horses were even more beautiful than the structure that sheltered them. Their coats gleamed and their hooves shone. The stables were alive with the talk of the horses; exhaling, neighing, rumbling voices speaking of the newcomer. There was also the sound of meowing. You were surprised to see that horses were not the only creatures to dwell in the stables. Looking up at the high wooden beams, inside barrels, curled in the hay, were a dozen or so cats. Although they looked like house cats, you noticed that they were larger and in every way more majestic. Nolwyn saw you spying out all of them;

"I hope you like cats. They're kept here to keep the vermin population down."

"I adore cats. I had one back home."

"Most servants aren't too fond of working in the stables. The work is a bit laborious. You'll be on your feet most of the time and get your hands dirty… I'm sure you'll get used to the smell. Well, this is where I leave you then. It's really too bad you couldn't be assigned to the orchards with me. I'll try to keep an eye out for you though, and we can sit together at mealtimes if you'd like."

You thanked her and agreed to sit with her come mealtimes. It was now just you and the stables. You began you chores right away, the first being to feed and water the horses. The work was laborious, but you loved it. Since you were a child you had dreamed of living on a farm. For several straight hours you worked hard cleaning the stalls, brushing the horses, sweeping and re-sweeping the stables, washing the windows, and refilling the storage barrels of horse feed. Your chores kept you very occupied; you didn't even notice that someone was watching you...


	6. Chapter 6

***Loki's P.O.V.***

Loki couldn't get the new servant girl out of his mind. The image of her was fresh in his memory. Her dark locks, not black as his own, but a softer chestnut colour that fell into waves and curls at her shoulders, her pale complexion and petite frame. The way she turned away from him, unable to look into his dominant gaze… as if she was hiding from something. He sensed her tension when he was staring her down in the dining hall. If only he had been closer to see the colour of her eyes.

_Damn Thor for always butting in where it is not his place! No matter, he won't bother himself with her. He already has so many women fawning over him to busy himself with a servant girl. The way that she looked at me though… No one has ever looked at me like that before. _

Loki took it upon himself to hunt the new servant girl down. Watch her. Get a sense for what she was like on her own. Was her shy, polite stance true, or was it just an act? Was she really just like all of the other young servant women?

Knowing that most of the new servants started their shifts at the stables Loki headed there first and sure enough he found the servant girl. Putting an invisibility enchantment over himself, he was able to watch her without her knowledge. For a girl as frail looking as she was, she was a hard worker; she didn't huff and puff with complaints or drag her feet. Loki watched as she climbed a small wooden step latter, placed a bucket of water on the windowsill above and began washing the windows. Her bangs fell in her eyes and she swiftly tucked them behind her ear, but because of the short length they only fell back once more. Water from the sponge rolled down her forearms as she reached higher to clean the upper window panes. Loki focused on the water rolling down the bare skin of her arms and he began to imagine what she might look like if she was completely dripping wet. Just then she reached higher to soak the sponge in the bucket of water and a devilish smile spread across his lips. Without moving a muscle he tipped the bucket and the water poured down the front of the girl's dress. A surprised gasp escaped her lips and she jumped off the step ladder. Her dress was soaked and it clung to every inch of her body. Loki knew that the water was cold because he could already see the girl's nipples pucker up under her soaking dress. To push the girl's embarrassment even further he stepped out of his invisibility enchantment and casually walked into the threshold as if he was walking in for the first time. The girl's head shot up at the arrival of him and her eyes widened. Quickly she turned away, but Loki didn't miss the flush of her cheeks. He smirked as he walked closer to her,

"Turn around and address the Prince of Asgard appropriately" he waited with his arms crossed and a bemused smile barely hidden under his serious face. Slowly she turned, her cheeks still flushed, her dress dark and clinging to her. Without making eye contact she bowed,

"Good afternoon Prince Loki" she began to pull at her dress, shaking it in places in attempt to dry it. Loki couldn't get enough of his work. His bemused smile finally surfaced,

"What in the world happened to you? Do Midgardians often take showers with their clothes on, and on the job as well?" Loki waited for her answer and saw that her cheeks flushed even more when he mentioned the shower bit.

"I'm sorry Prince Loki. I was washing the windows and the bucket of water fell on me" She pointed up to the stepladder and the window she had just been washing. Loki looked to where she pointed and nodded,

"Well you best be more cautious when leaving buckets of water around" Loki's eyes trailed back over the front of her soaking dress. He knew she was aware that he was looking at her and he could sense that she was uncomfortable with him doing so, but that just encouraged him to prolong his gaze.

"I'm sorry, but I should really get back to my chores. Was there anything you wanted me to do?" _God yes! _Loki became aware of a weight growing at his groin. Quickly he averted his gaze from her and shook his head as he walked towards the row of horses.

"No, no. Carry on with your chores. I was only collecting my horse." Now it was she who was watching him. Loki greeted his horse, a majestic, well toned black steed, with a gentle pat and began to walk it outside. All the while he knew the girl was watching him as she refilled the bucket of water.

***O.C.'s P.O.V.***

Loki still hadn't returned to the stables by the time you finished your chores and you hadn't seen him since, but you still couldn't stop thinking of what happened that afternoon. You finished eating dinner in the servants' dining hall and now you were wandering aimlessly through the many halls and stairwells of the kingdom. Trying to find your way back to your room was just as difficult as you imagined it would be. Nolwyn was called for a last minute clean up duty and couldn't show you to your room as she originally promised. You didn't hold it against her, but you didn't accept her offer for one of the other servants to show you the way either. Nolwyn was the only servant so far who had shown you an inch of kindness. The others all looked at you as if you were an alien. You wondered how they knew to cast you out. You had the same outfit as all of them and you didn't look that different compared to the other servant women. _Well maybe it's my hair. It's much darker than everyone else's. Why do so many Asgardians have blonde hair anyway? What's with that? _The fact that your hair was a different colour was the main difference you could spot, but that seemed like such a ridiculous reason for the others to judge you. You pictured yourself and tried to think of other differences. _Maybe it's my piercings; my pierced nose and the multiple little hoops lining my earlobes. I haven't noticed anyone else with piercings. _Still that seemed so trivial. Your piercings were considered tame on earth, but you had to remind yourself that you no longer lived on earth. Then again you noticed that Queen Frigga had beautiful earrings on when you met her. Either way you knew it would take time for Asgardians to accept you, just as it would take time for you to become comfortable in this new world. For now you wanted to soak in your surroundings on your own terms, even if that meant that you wouldn't get to your room until midnight.

_At least my dress is dry._ Your cheeks still glowed pink just thinking about the incident with Loki earlier. It was your first day as a servant of Asgard and _of course_ you had to embarrass yourself, and in front of the prince no less! Thinking back to the dripping incident for the hundredth time you tried to find an explanation as to what caused the bucket of water to fall. You had only reached up to it, you didn't even touch it and it flipped over abruptly as if someone had knocked it over purposefully. There was no one else in the stables at that time though so it was impossible for that to have happened. In the end you told yourself that you pushed your luck with balancing a bucket full of water on a narrow windowsill. Despite trying to settle on the logical explanation you mustered up, you still had your doubts.

You hadn't told Nolwyn of your encounter with Loki. Nolwyn had told you to keep your distance from him, that he was trouble, but nothing serious had happened. It was embarrassing, sure, but he didn't _do _anything. _The way he was staring at me though… My dress was plastered to me and he just _stared_. It's not a crime to stare. I guess men are the same no matter what world they live in. _You told yourself this, but it still felt odd. No man had ever looked at you like that before, but then again you had never been in a soaking wet dress in front of one before either.

Just then you heard footsteps in the hall behind you. Your breath caught in your throat and when you turned around you were met by a good looking young man who looked to be a few years older than yourself. His sandy blonde hair framed his face perfectly. It wasn't as long as Thor's but it wasn't a crew cut either. The men in Asgard seemed fond of longer hair. He had grey eyes like the man who took you from the hospital, but they were nowhere near as hard and stony. They were soft and his smile was just as gentle, only his jaw line was strong and prominent.

"I am sorry if I startled you miss. I saw you pass by the same hall twice already. Are you having trouble finding your way?" _Sounds like my life story. I have always had trouble finding my way. _

"Um, yes, I'm trying to find my room. All of these halls and stairs are confusing me" you laughed quietly and were pleased to see that he laughed as well.

"Yes well I can imagine how confusing this place must be if you are new. You _are_ new here, am I correct?"

"You're not wrong, I'm new here. I guess it's that obvious huh?"

"It's just that I have never seen you around before, and if you were not new you would probably know your way around the kingdom… Plus I heard that there was a Midgar— I mean a new servant in the kingdom."

"Does everyone know? I thought I wasn't the only _Midgardian _to be a servant in this place"

"You're not, but there hasn't been a Midgardian servant here for some time. That must make you… special," He paused for a moment as if he was surprised he spoke those last words and then he continued on, "Besides, my older brother, Amund, was the man who brought you here. I heard the news directly from him, not dwindling gossip."

"Oh. I'm sorry if I was rude, but people have been giving me strange looks all day. That explains it then."

"That explains what?"

"Why you look so familiar; your brother and you."

"Oh yes we do look similar, but he's more… stern. He used to be more fun when we were boys, but since he's been appointed to a higher position in the kingdom he has taken on more responsibilities and doesn't have time for nonsense any longer."

"And _you_ do? What do you do here at the kingdom, besides helping those who've lost their way?" You began to tease him, and he puffed himself up,

"I happen to be a guard thank you very much."

"A guard, impressive." He grinned and introduced himself as Sven and you told him your name in return.

"You must be exhausted after your first day here. Would you like me to help you find your way?"

"Yes I would appreciate that."

As the two of you walked you took note of how slow Sven was walking, almost as if he was stalling or trying to prolong his time with you. He asked about how your first day went and you told him of your less than pleasant encounter with Zara and your viewing with the royal family. As you spoke you remembered how Loki looked at you for the first time. You remembered how Thor also noticed his brother's transfixed stare. Sven tilted his head and asked you what was on your mind, but you didn't dare tell him about what happened with Loki.

"Oh I was just thinking… It's kind of odd how different Thor and Loki are. I mean they're brothers, but they don't look it. Then there are you and your brother Amund and I could tell the two of you were flesh and blood before I even knew you were related." You looked over to Sven and he was quiet for a moment, thinking over what you just said.

"I suppose you're right, but Thor and Loki _are _brothers. It is hard to believe I know, what with Thor held so high and Loki always causing mayhem."

"Mayhem? Why does everyone talk of Loki like that? He's a prince, isn't he?"

"Sure he's a prince, but the title doesn't always hold true. He's… troubled." Sven was no longer smiling when he looked back to you,

"You haven't run into him today have you?"

"No. Of course not." You lied a little too quickly. _Why did I lie? Nothing happened. _Sven stared at you harder as if he didn't believe you. As you turned the corner you entered the familiar hall lined with doors that you left that morning with Zara. The door to your room was not far away.

"Very well. Promise me you'll stay clear of Loki" he was very close to you now, looking down into your face, concern in his eyes, "He's dangerous, do you understand?"

"I understand Sven. Thanks for showing me to my room. Good night" you smiled and let yourself into your small room, closing the door behind you. _What is Loki really like? Is he really as dangerous as Nolwyn and Sven say? A_s soon as your head hit the pillow you fell into a deep sleep and Loki clouded your dreams all through the night.


End file.
